The booklet ” Sri Hethaiammal sarithiram ( History of Sri Hethai Ammal) ” written by Mr. N.N. Pokka (Bogga ?) Madha Gowder, is indeed one of the rare books written on ‘ Hethai ‘, the revered deity of Badagas of the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India, some sixty/seventy odd years ago.

Given in its original form in Tamil in the following pages.

Wherever possible, I have tried to give the translation in English

The download size is about 3.8MB. Please remember that you should have installed one of the (free) pdf readers like FOXIT, PDF -XChange Viewer, Adobe Reader on your system to open and read the downloaded file !

May HETHAI Amma bless you !

^

English version of the above

Sulogam suya Badaga Bashae

Eiyu hethapparu,aelingi hennu, aeval thoraiyana

ellakkannadi joikindi, jay thaige erasi makkeri emba

hiriya devara hegaluno hoththuthale malei seemai enda

ela malei seemega bappane kaadu kaadu aladu kaare medu bandu

kaala sandu kulindu erasi makkeri hittitu edadariga hogi

makkeria madimaadi, marasi thirigi bandu kaarai mera meda nodu

vane eezhuthalai nagappa erasi makkeriyoge hibbane, kartha ranga

thorida endu kaiethi saranamaadi marasi thirigi bandu sole

sole suthi neela malae ga hathi kaarai morava edirunodi

kalla sele nattu neelagiri rangasamy endu nile naatida

vakkara nenjunoge nenethu barivo.

The original cover page and the author Madha Gowder

{ Bellie Jayaprakash adds : The figure shown on the cover is not to be mistaken to be that of Hethai . It appears to be one of the standard Picture blocks available with any printing press (in this case Blue Mountain Press, Coonoor) in those days.

[In fact, there are no pictures of ” Hethai ” at all ]}

N.N.Pokka Madha Gowder,

Nadu hatti, Katta Bettu

Family tree

1. Kuruda Hethappan , his son 2. Halli Hethappan his son 3. Ubjja Hathappan, hia son 4. Kakke Hethappan his son 5. Putta Hethappan, his son 6. Nanjaiya Gowder his son 7. OdaNanjappa gowder, his son 8. Pokka Madha Gowder his son 9. Ranga Gowder (aged 20) Through my elder daughters there are 11 lineages and from our elder families there are 14/15 lineages – N N Pokka Madha Gowder

The download size is about 3.8MB. Please remember that you should have installed one of the (free) pdf readers like FOXIT, PDF -XChange Viewer, Adobe Reader on your system to open and read the downloaded file !

May HETHAI Amma bless you !

To read the history of Hethe you may also go to

Hethay Amma and Gayatri Chalisa

I am not a very religious person in the ’strictest’ sense of the word. But I am a proud Hindu and consider all religions to be equal. I am a staunch believer of HETHAY [HETHE] Amma. I pray to Her everyday.Recently I came across ‘GAYATRI CHALISA’, supposed to be the most powerful 40 verses of prayer along with GAYATRI MANTRA. It is in Sanskrit and I do not understand most of them.The English translation makes a lot more sense.

The similarities of HETHAY AMMA and GAYATRI MATA are striking and too numerous to list, elaborate and explain. For one, BOTH are clad in spotless white and formless

Oh holy Mother Gayatri, you are the first to relieve pain, the first to satisfy and the first to bestow bliss. You are the super-intelligent, bright light of life. You are peace, awakening change, progress and incessant creative power………..

Having a swan as her vahana [carrier] Holy Mother Gayatri is clad in spotless white. Her lustrous form dazzles like gold. Betaker of the heavenly route, O Mother, you are the embodiment of everlasting ‘satwa guna’ [noble qualities] as well as truth incarnate [noble form] and dispenser of unique nectar like bliss…………

[Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction]

Gayatri Mantra, the most important prayer, inspires wisdom and is also a prayer to the “giver of light and life” – the sun (savitur),’Hothu/Suriyanu’ in Badaga.

Sir, i used to mail you 4 to 5 years back. My father is in Army[Subedar Major].I wanted to ask you is there any translation of the book either in English or if possible in Hindi.
Then sir, I am really happy to see your interest towards our community.Really it feels good to see such an interest and effort.Hope this effort will try to reveal the feelings that we teens have towards our community. Visiting the site after so many years it feels as if it is your obsession.Please don’t let this obsession get dormant.We youngsters actually need someone to tell our identity and tell us who we are.

hello sir,
first of all ‘m really proud to be a badaga… i was thinking for a long time to post a website like this.. but now ‘im very happy to see this website.. i also have a request sir pls try to add more photos regarding our marriage functions and festivels….

This year we had the opportunity to visit the Hetthai Amman festivals at Beragini on 26/12/2010, (of course not the luxury to attend all days ). It was an amazing and wonderful experience for all of us. The ocean of white everywhere was just so beautiful. We were very happy to purchase the badaga calendar of which we became aware only through this website. It was a beautiful Sunday spent at Beragini.

I wont say its a great job,its above all that. yes, after reading our orig and history I started giving lecture to all my family members including elders and even aged.sir since my childhood I tried to know our history and orig but today (05 SEP 2010), yeah, of course, I discovered me and myself,this is because of the only one that’s JP.

Hello Rajendran, first of all I am so happy to receive such a kind letter (from the heart) from a youngster that too from IAF. As I have often mentioned, if young Badagas have ‘discovered’ themselves by knowing our origin, customs and culture by going through my website, then I have truly achieved something. Feel very happy and as always humbled.- JP

Today only I visited this site and the infos are enormous and I felt I’ve lost past 4 years to know these info’s. I am very proud of you ! Great job !! My native village is Melcowhatty, is there any particular details about my hatti ?

Hello Sathish, Thanks for your comments. I will try and gather some info about your hatti. Meanwhile, if you have any info or photo of your hatti, pl send them to me. They will be published with due credit – Wg Cdr JP

It takes 3 hours for me to go through this site. very interesting. but i got lot of troubles wit the font size. its very difficult to read. If the font size is larger means, im sure many peoples will vist this. anyhow its very nice. I showed this to many badaga guys in my office. really its very nice. i appercitate u.

definately not beragani hathe amma???? must be some other place.. we dont allow to do such things. it reduces the power man!!!! just remove the pic

Wing Commander JP adds:

Suresh,

I do not know who the hell are you and what is your locus standi in issues concerned Hethai Amma?

First identify yourself properly and learn how to write an email with the minimum basic courtesy being shown.

Do not behave as if you have known me for a long time.

I am a staunch believer of Hethai Amma and if your point is valid, I have no problems in removing the photo, but first convince me about yourself and your authority on the subject.

Suresh’s reply :I belong to the hethai amman village(beragani). I will be forwarding this issue with concern authorities and make u know who the hell iam?? good byeJP adds : The self claimed champion thinks that Hethe Amma is his personal property ….probably he does not know that Hethe AMMA is NOT A DEITY but an all powerful GODDESS to me…..CAN YOU REDUCE THE POWER OF THE ALMIGHTY with a photo?

PDF format which you have sent it to me is not openning. It contain some error. Could you send it again.

JP replies : #

Hethai Amman history – pdf download
A lot of friends have been asking me to send them the ‘Complete History of HETHAI AMMA’. You can download the same from this link here The download size is about 3.8MB. Please remember that you should have installed one of the (free) pdf readers like FOXIT, PDF -XChange Viewer, Adobe Reader on your system to open and read the downloaded file ! May HETHAI Amma bless you !

“I just went through badaga.wordpress website. It was really very nice. Lots of information…Great Job. I would like to have ethai amman story in pdf format. Please send the same it would help to learn more”.

Being in Tamil, its very difficult to read and the letters are very hard to identify, so if there is a possiblity, please translate the version into English, so that everyone can read ‘the history of Hethai ‘

Hi Halan Moorthy,
Thanks for your comments.
It would be wonderful to get hold of that “Iyya’s” writings for that may throw a lot of light about Badagas.
The ‘beauty’ of our community is the fact that no correct info/proof is available about our origin.
Though many researchers have “concluded’ that Badagas have migrated from Mysore area about 400 years ago, I strongly believe that our origin is much more older.

Great site. Fascinating and very informative. Well done!
I remember many years ago ( perhaps early 80s) there was a badaga scholar who researched and edited a journal called ‘Aarachi’. It dealt with the origin and evolution of the badada language. Sadly I dont remember that ‘Iyya’s’ name but distinctly remember the journal itself which had some fascinating articles and facts.
For instance, there was some evidence to the theory that our cultural practices and language was strickingly similar to those who lived in Masopotomia (one of the earliest civilisations).
Now, I am no historian but it does make one wonder whether we do indeed know everything about our origin. Perhaps not everything, I guess. I wonder if any one else has detailed knowledge about this ?!

Karu Harachodhu

Karu Harachodhu
In his book, THE GOLDEN BOUGH – A STUDY IN MAGIC AND RELIGION (1922) Sir James George Fraser (1854 – 1941) mentioned the following :-
Among the Badagas of the Neilgherry Hills in Southern India, when a death has taken place, the sins of the deceased are laid upon a buffalo calf.For this purpose the people gather round the corpse and carry it outside of the village. There an elder of the tribe, standing at the head of the corpse, recites or chants [known as - "KARU HARUCHODU"] a long list of sins such as any Badaga may commit, and the people repeat the last word of each line after him.
Listen to the prayer rendered by Bellie Jayaprakash here
Go here to know more about Badaga Funeral Rites

Badaga Dance

Badaga dance is all about grace and style. It is a wonderful sight when a group of ladies dance together. During the funeral, the ladies of the parental village [hatti] of the deceased woman, dance going around the cot [kattalu] to the music provided by the 'host' hatti musicians.
Badaga Dance

Wg Cdr Bellie Jayaprakash, the 'All-in-One' of this site. Started as a hobby but now an obsession.

Even when I was down with poverty and sat at the front court yard,
Even when the near and dear ones despised and deserted,
My mother who gave birth, cared for and brought me up,
Did not blame me and did not reject me- her son, as bad

Even when I toiled as a Cooli with a bent back,
Even when I sat down with my looks dulled and dirty,
Even when I wore patched up old clothes,
My mother never said that I was down ; never rejected me as poor!

Even when I entered the stables and cleaned the dung,
Even when I sat on the rock and tendered the cows,
Even when I lifted loads to earn so as to suppress the hunger,
My mother never found any fault ; never scolded me as ignorant.

Athikkodhu & Karu Harachodhu

The beauty about Badaga community is not only the unique customs specific to the community but the steadfast belief with which atleast some of them are followed by Badagas. One of them is the loud chanting of ‘Athikkodhu – EAY AH HOW – on certain but specific occasions. It is said that in earlier days [hundreds of years back], when the Badaga villages [hattis] were separated by thick jungle forests , 'athikkindu Hoppadhu ' - traversing the forest with loud athikkodhu chant - kept the wild animals away.

Three occasions, when this loud chanting takes place, come to mind immediately,
1)During “Hethay Habba’ – both when from every village the devotees go to Hethay temples at Beragani and Peddhuva [as well as when the Hethay deity from Hethai Gudi is taken to ‘Madi Halla -river’ for change into new dress once a year].Also, and whenever a hatti temple deity is taken on procession during habbas in hattis],
2) During weddings when the bride and groom are brought to the ‘Madhuvay Mane – wedding house' and the newly weds are taken to the temple and
3) On funerals when the widow is brought for ‘olay Kattodhu’ and the ‘akki eththuva ‘ procession starts from the ‘dhodda Mane’ to ‘saavu hanay ‘ where the corpse/body is kept before being taken for burial.

This loud ‘chanting /cry’ is made from the bottom of the stomach by a few leading the procession and repeated by the rest following them.

I have given the ‘live’ recordings of this unique chanting (recorded during a wedding [the band playing in the background] at Thambatty

More than 560,000 hits…

That is a lot of hits for a website [weblog] on BADAGA that is focused on a small community of the Blue Mountains - the Nilgiris, in the southern part of India. Is it due to...

the urge to know the unknown about ourselves....

to sift the truth from fiction....the satisfaction that we have a very unique history.....the mystery about the mistaken migration.....the traditions that are still steadfastly followed.....the great language that has survived for centuries without a script...

The simple fact that this site's motto of 'Proud to be a Badaga ; Proud to be an Indian' has become an accepted norm...

You all, my dear friends, have made me bow my head in gratitude.

Proud to be an Indian and proud to be a Badaga, indeed.

Hope to say - 'thanks a million' soon...

Wg Cdr Bellie Jayaprakash, is the 'All-in-One' of this site. He says that he started this site as a hobby but now it has become an obsession.This website crossed the milestone of 100,000 visitors on 8-3-2010, 150,000 visitors on 20-4-2011, 200,000 visitors on 6-4-2012 , 250,000 on 22-1-2013, 300,000 hits on 6-1-2014, 350,000 on 6-1-15 and 400,000 on 13 -11-2015550000 hits on 1 Jan 2018. Feel humbled but proud

Golden Voice of Kerban Bella Gowder

Kerban Bella Gowder, a great Badaga Singer

Badaga Songs

Listen to these Badaga melodies as you browse

Dance Numbers Sad Songs

Letter

Thomas Chandy (thomaschandy@gmail.com) writes:-
"This is my first visit to this site and was surprised to know how ignorant I have been about the Badaga community. All that I have read makes me hang my head in shame for I have been growing up in the Nilgiris, among the Badagas and I was so ignorant about their origin,culture and so on. This write up is very informative and useful and may the Badaga community grow and spread through the whole world and prosper".

"Thank you Thomas. I am humbled at your kind words. May I hope that the Badagas will live up to your hopes, and thank you once again on behalf of the Badaga community – Wg Cdr JP"

Letter

Anand Ramachandran(Muttinadu) writes :This is the the first time I am visiting this site.... It took 5 hours to go through this site, you have done a fantastic job. Its just like a bible for our next generation. Thanks for your commitment!

Badaga

From the heart

Do you feel very strongly about any issue concerning Badaga Community? Have the urge to pour your heart out ? Feel free to express yourself without any inhibition and send them tobjaypee@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Save the TIGER

Tiger is HULI in Badaga Lanuage

Read any Indian Newspaper

Read any Indian Newspaper. [ In all Indian Languages]
CLICK HERE
------------------------
Bhuvaneshwari R writes :- This website is one of the best I have seen. Didn’t think I would find so much detail about our culture.
The history of origin of Badagas is quite fascinating. Photos are also really great.
Really good to see someone do an effort to spread awareness.Thank you…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some great Hethey songs!

Song uploaded in Soundcloud by Suresh M

Needs & Greeds

Here's a question that was posed to the Dalai Lama:

"What thing about humanity surprises you the most?"

His answer is : "MAN - Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn't enjoy the present,

And as a result he doesn't live in the present or the future. And he lives as if he's never going to die and then he dies having never really lived".

Follow this website via Email

Enter your email address to follow this website on Badaga and receive notifications of new posts by email.

560,000 hits and counting

That is a lot of hits for a website [weblog] on BADAGA that is focused on a small community of the Blue Mountains - the Nilgiris, in the southern part of India. Is it due to...

the urge to know the unknown about ourselves....

to sift the truth from fiction....the satisfaction that we have a very unique history.....the mystery about the mistaken migration.....the traditions that are still steadfastly followed.....the great language that has survived for centuries without a script...

The simple fact that this site's motto of 'Proud to be a Badaga ; Proud to be an Indian' has become an accepted norm...

You all, my dear friends, have made me bow my head in gratitude.

Proud to be an Indian and proud to be a Badaga, indeed.

Hope to say - 'thanks a million' soon...

Wg Cdr Bellie Jayaprakash, is the 'All-in-One' of this site. He says that he started this site as a hobby but now it has become an obsession.This website crossed the milestone of 100,000 visitors on 8-3-2010, 150,000 visitors on 20-4-2011, 200,000 visitors on 6-4-2012 , 250,000 on 22-1-2013, 300,000 hits on 6-1-2014, 350,000 on 6-1-15 and 400,000 on 13 -11-2015550000 hits on 1 Jan 2018. Feel humbled but proud